Press for Little Curry Shop

Defining Biju's Little Curry Shop as fast-casual Indian almost does it a disservice. Sure, it operates on a fast-casual counter model, with diners ordering their coconut curry, vindaloo or Masala beef, and then directing the addition of chutneys, yogurt and extra spice to taste.

The fast-casual trend plays out here with the curry styles of southern India, where chef and owner Biju Thomas grew up. Build a bowl by choosing a protein, and then selecting options like rice, crunchy veggies, and other condiments with varying spice levels.

In 2009, I met [cycling coach] Allen Lim at a dinner. Later, Al went to work with Lance Armstrong as his trainer. I kept bugging Al during their Hawaii training camp, saying, “Dude, you should let me cook for you; I’ll pay for it myself and fly out.” I talked my way into it, and the Feed Zone cookbooks that Al and I wrote together grew out of that.

Athlete food isn’t different; they just eat more of it. That informed a lot of the recipes for the Feed Zone books. They’re uncomplicated recipes with big portions.

It’s the same philosophy behind Little Curry Shop, a casual restaurant in Denver that I opened in December 2014. Everything we make is gluten-free, and we cook with zero butter. I’m the test subject: I’m intolerant to wheat and large amounts of dairy. I get heartburn when stuff is too spicy or astringent, bloated from too much fiber. Most people think this stuff is normal: “I got heartburn, I’ll take these meds.” But a lot of that is manageable with diet. What you eat should not only be beautiful and taste good, but should make you feel good later, too.

Believe it or not, Christmas Day has come and gone, and it is time to begin taking down decor, secretly returning the gifts we don’t like, and working extra hours to pay off all of the debt we racked up this holiday season. If you are feeling down about the ending of this most wonderful time of the year, let us begin making plans for the next big thing, like visiting these 24 epic Colorado places in 2017:

This has been a long time coming — decades, in fact. For the entire 21st century trend watchers have been waiting for Indian food to become mainstream. But while other cuisines captured the limelight — Thai, Korean, Mediterranean — Indian food has gradually insinuated itself into America’s culinary consciousness.

Quite apart from trendy modern Indian restaurants such as Badmaash in Los Angeles, Choolaah Indian BBQ in Cleveland and Ananda in Baltimore, or fast-casual chains such as Kati Roll Company in New York, Tava Kitchen in the San Francisco Bay area and Biju’s Little Curry Shop in the Denver area, Indian influences are now being seen in restaurants with no connection to the subcontinent. Nix, John Fraser’s vegetarian restaurant in New York, has two tandoor ovens, fast-casual salad chain Sweetgreen introduced curry cauliflower to the menu in September and Chicken Salad Chick, based in Auburn, Ala., offered a Cuddle Up to Curry Chicken Salad earlier this year.

“It absolutely helped us catapult our catering services,” said Leshner Del Rosario, who owns the Filipino-themed food truck with his wife, Sarah. “People were calling us and Whole Foods, sending us messages through our Facebook page or e-mails asking if we were still there months and months down the road after our short stint.”

Seated behind the wheel of his gray 2014 Audi Allroad, Biju Thomas pulls up to a Denver stoplight. The founder of Biju’s Little Curry Shop picks up his phone and scans his texts. There are questions about the price of chicken, which plates to use for a pending photo shoot, who’s going to deliver to-go orders, and an alert about running out of onions. With one eye on the light, the 46-year-old madly answers the messages.

Top Taco, voted “Best New Festival in Denver, 2014” in its inaugural year, threw down last night at the new, larger venue across from the old digs in Sculpture Park. This year, 45-plus of the best restaurants from the Denver/Boulder area battled it out for the best tacos and tequila drinks to the tunes of Sambadende.

May is a slow month for Aspen restaurants — those that remain open, that is. You wouldn’t know it at The Little Nell today, though, when Element 47 launches its summertime Guest Chef Dinner series with a much-anticipated return visit from Denver-based chef Biju Thomas of Biju’s Little Curry Shop. The event’s 120 seats sold out midweek.

The same thing happened in December, when Thomas kicked off the resort’s wintertime Guest Chef series: Staff expected about 65 guests, but ended up serving nearly 140. Aspenites just can’t seem to get enough of Thomas’ native South Indian cuisine.

Alluringly clean and unassuming, Malice is a temptation you shouldn’t resist. This crisp and fruit-forward cider is crafted from Colorado apples, fermented dry, and aged in stainless steel. Just one sip and you’ll never be the same again, that’s one bad apple.

Share Our Strength’s No Kid Hungry, a national program dedicated to ending child hunger in America, will once again be hosting “Chefs Up Front” in Denver, a scrumptious charity event that features an interactive auction and cocktail reception, followed by a delectable tableside dinner designed by some of Denver’s top bartenders and chefs....

Expect a bit of street-food chaos at Biju’s Little Curry Shop in RiNo: There’s probably a line snaking out the door, the menu is easy to miss, and once first-timers make it to the counter, they might wonder what to order. But watch those who go before and trust that, really, everything’s as it should be here......

From pizza joints to culinary emporiums, lots of new places will be opening this year, combining local talent with emerging neighborhoods and hot concepts on the national scene. Opening dates tend to get pushed back, but here's an overview of what's coming this year.

Biju Thomas of Biju’s Little Curry Shop in Denver suggests switching up the sauce: Order vindaloo instead of tikka masala. It’s intensely spicy, but has plenty of bright, acidic, and vinegar-tinged notes. This is in direct contrast to tikka masala which, while delicious, is creamy and rich. “You never really feel great after eating it,” says Thomas. He prefers his vindaloo Kerala-style, with fresh fish, but in non-coastal regions, you’ll often see it with pork, chicken, or lamb, as well. Take a deep breath before digging in. Says Thomas, “It pushes the heat level.”

So you made that New Year's resolution. The one that's all about eating healthier for a better... Daaaaamn. Is that a double cheeseburger?! Yeah, we get it. Distractions may be everywhere, but healthy food doesn't have to be tasteless. Instead of giving in, give the nutritious (and delicious) eats at these spots a chance

The year is young and exciting restaurant and bar openings are around the corner. 2016 will bring projects from the acclaimed teams from Beast + Bottle, Frasca, and Linger/RootDown/Ophelia's among others. Matsuhisa and Departure will open in Cherry Creek as two new food halls prepare to debut with star-studded line-ups. Here, a look at the most-anticipated restaurant openings of 2016 in Denver.

Watch us on the recently aired episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives!

This trip, Guy Fieri's checking out killer cuisine spanning three different continents. In Denver, the unique quick service spot dishing out a creative take on Indian curry. Then in northwest Denver, the Brazilian bistro cooking up the bomb croquettes and an abundant seafood specialty. And in Atlanta, the folksy joint stacking mega meat into serious sandwiches.

When chef and cookbook author Biju Thomas opened Biju's Little Curry Shop in River North last December, he made it clear that he had bigger plans than just a single fast-casual Indian joint. And now with that first eatery all but maxed out in kitchen space and with more customers than room to feed them all, he's expanding his reach and will open a second Little Curry Shop on Tennyson Street — in the same building where Atomic Cowboy is setting up its third location

The chalkboard menu at Biju's Little Curry Shop, a contemporary fast-casual Indian storefront, is streamlined for simplicity, a necessity considering the lines that snake out the door during peak times. There's a chicken bowl, a beef bowl, a veggie bowl and the naadan bowl, which consists of a little of this, a little of that and a symphony of bold flavors and textures.